MEMPHIS, Tenn. — A shooting injured a security guard outside a Summer Avenue nightclub that should’ve been closed early Monday, but Memphis Police say they are no longer investigating the case.
Security guard Kevin Tate says he got called inside James’ Lounge around 2 a.m. Monday, breaking up a fight among a group of women.
But he says once he separated them, one went outside and got a gun. That’s when everything took a turn.
He said he fought with the woman to get the gun out of her hand, and the gun went off, leaving him with a gunshot wound to the finger.
After he was shot, he and several other security guards rushed to take down the shooter.
Video sent to WREG shows Tate and others repeatedly punching and throwing down the woman on the hood of a car, even appearing to try to strangle her.
“She shot me in my hand. I was angry,” Tate said. “I did put my hands on her but under the circumstances, she shot me in my hand.”
Tate said he told police he’s not pressing charges, and police say they’re not filing any against Tate because he was the initial victim.
Tate is home recovering and says he’ll be ok, but said he probably won’t be back there for work.
James’ Lounge has been a fixture on Summer Avenue for years, and its troubles go back that far too. Monday’s incident is just the latest chapter.
Police investigated a murder there last December, and the district attorney even shut it down as a nuisance property in 2015.
We tried knocking on the door and calling the numbers for the club, and one for the last known owner, but no one answered.
Under coronavirus regulations, bars right now are supposed to be closing at 10 p.m.
We asked police if they alerted the Shelby County Health Department about James’ Lounge apparently being open late. They said they didn’t think so.
We’ve contacted the mayor’s office to find out why.
